Saturday, October 15, 2016

Govt wants airlines to set up simulators

The civil aviation ministry wants airlines and aircraft manufacturers to set up flight simulators to meet the rising demand for trained pilots in India.

Following recommendations from a civil aviation ministry committee headed by joint secretary B S Bhullar to set up a flight simulator for every 20 aircraft, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is drafting a regulation in this regard. A ministry official said the recommendation had been approved and DGCA would be issuing draft guidelines in the next two weeks.


Civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said the government wanted aircraft manufacturers to set up simulators in India. “We want to build an aviation ecosystem in the country,” he said, adding that the companies would not be arm-twisted to provide simulators.

Currently, Air India and Jet Airways have their own simulators for their Boeing and Airbus aircraft, while other airlines send their pilots to third-party simulators in India and abroad.

There are no simulators in India for ATR, Bombardier, and Embraer aircraft.

The issue of simulator training also came up during a recent meeting between the civil aviation ministry and representatives of Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation. The Japanese company is developing a regional jet and is looking for customers in India.

Pilots have to undergo simulator checks once every six months. Also, simulators are used for training pilots on new aircraft type. The sector criticised the move, saying it was impractical.
15/10/16 Aneesh Phadnis & Arindam Majumder/Business Standard
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